SARANAC LAKE, N.Y. (WCAX) – One of the nation’s oldest winter carnivals kicks off this weekend in Northern New York.
Volunteers have helped craft the sprawling ice palace at the center of Saranac Lake’s winter carnival for more than a century.
“This year’s a classic, perfect Adirondack worker,” said Jeffrey Branch, the chair of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival.
Roughly 40 volunteers are using the bitter cold to their advantage this year, ahead of the carnival.
“It’s been really good for building ice. It’s been really cold for ice builders,” said Liz Murray, the reigning queen of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival.
Last year, warm temperatures threw a wrench in construction. But this year, the ice palace reigns triumphant.
“It’s about the same size, it’s always planned, it’s just this year we didn’t have to cut in half because of the weather,” Branch said.
Some volunteers have been lending a hand for decades, others are just beginning to experience the weekslong, ice-cold process.
“I said, that looks like fun and I asked to join and they said come on down,” said Julia Chambers, a volunteer.
This is Chambers’ second year volunteering. She says the magic of the age-old tradition is bringing people together.
“I think today’s day an age where we do not have a lot of community and communities are becoming more and more fractured, this is a true coming together of everyone,” Chambers said.
The iconic palace will come to life Saturday night, celebrating this year’s carnival theme– music legends, some of whom may be found within the palace’s icy walls.
“Come and check it out. I think there may be someone wearing some blue suede shoes but other than that I don’t know,” Branch said.